EDITORIAL: Syrian refugees a global crisis in need of solving

International studies by humanitarian organisations detailing the plight of Syrian refugees in Lebanon highlight the real threat that the crisis in the Middle East could spread.

With 70% of displaced Syrians living in Lebanon below the extreme poverty line, the threat to a stable and secure Lebanon is growing the longer the civil war rages on in Syria.

According to the United Nations, the plight of the Syrian refugees is a ticking time bomb which poses a “social, economic and security explosion”. Refugees are resorting to criminal or other acts of survival just to feed their families; they may even join terrorist groups. Children are also at risk of turning into extremists.

The Lebanese government had its own hands full before the Syrian crisis began which resulted in 1.5 million refugees seeking shelter.

More must be done to lighten the heavy burden that now weighs on Lebanon. This means that more countries must help take in desperate Syrian refugees on a temporary basis. Up to the end of 2015, countries had pledged to take just 8800 Syrian refugees. So much more has yet to be done.

Refugees are also heading to the safer countries of Europe, especially western Europe, but theirs is a journey fraught with peril. Already many lives have been lost but more will be lost as long as other countries attempt to keep their distance.

In order to ease these countries’ domestic concerns, the resettlement process should be temporary until the crisis in Syria has passed and it is considered safe to return.

The Syrian crisis is no longer just a security crisis. It is a humanitarian issue and such a crisis affects everyone, even countries like Australia and New Zealand on the other side of the planet.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil spoke of indirect efforts to naturalise Syrian refugees in Lebanon and urged “the adoption of unilateral and sovereign steps, otherwise naturalization will be imposed on us.”

“I know that some politicians have remained silent over this issue for political and sectarian interests. Some officials want to naturalise the refugees in order to gain a sectarian upper hand in elections,” he declared.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon just concluded a two-day visit to Lebanon during which he visited Syrian refugee encampments.

Ban assures Salam that Lebanon must Continue on rejecting naturalization of refugees.

He urged officials to exert efforts to ensure the displaced people’s return to their country and to pressure, to that end, major powers concerned with the Syrian crisis.

                                                             Editor in Chief